Teaching - UK couple wanting to come over.

I make about 20k a month and get accomm and other benefits. Let me know if you want more info.

You can try this school also.

alkhor international school-british stream

www.akisbs.com

j_p - I'd say no, though I've never lived there, only driven through.

Your partner should get QT status before thinking about going anywhere.

'What's for you won't go by you'

Thanks for that info.

Nice area to live/work?

Mesaieed is about an hour south of Doha. It's an industrial town near the oil plants.

Thanks for all the info guys, you are great!

Does anyone know anything about the Mesaieed International School? Location? Accomodation? Area?

Have heard some good reviews.

Sorry to say that you can not pay into UK teachers pension fund whilst working overseas. The best you could do is buy years back when and if you return to the UK.

"Deaths in the Bible. God - 2,270,365

not including the victims of Noah's flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, or the

many plagues, famines, fiery serpents, etc because no specific numbers

were given. Satan - 10."

Housing in Oman is not necessarily cheaper. Since the cylcone 2.5 years ago housing has been tighter and therefore more expensive. I'm not saying it's not affordable, but salaries are lower there than Qatar and therefore are statistically similar or less able to cover living expenses realistically.

Only suggestion is to do some research on Oman housing market.

Again, we've looked at Oman. What area are advised?

What prices do fully furnished apartments start at in Qatar? If we had a combined salary of 25000 QAR we could obviously afford a lot more.

7-8,000 QR won't get you too much in the way of a nice apartment here. It can be done, but it will be minimally standard. Oman is a beautiful country and housing is MUCH cheaper. Teacher's salaries are a bit lower, but the rent would more than make up for it.

Mandi

Well you can get prices here and also from online local newspapers.

http://www.onlinenewspapers.com/qatar.htm

You could try your luck on facebook bahrain groups, this proba sounds bit random but there were quite a a few teachers in the bahrain hash house harriers running club - you could look up there yahoo group.

When you consider that I earn 114000 QAR before TAX, NI, Pension etc. in the UK. Works out at around 8500 QAR after deductions.

We thuoght that with two salaries we could afford 7000-8000 QAR on appartment rental.

Therefore, knowing the average teacher salary would help with calculations.

As for getting married, this has come up in conversation!

Just get married if it's an issue. Plenty of us did that before coming out here.

What sort of salary are you expecting to get as teachers out here? My understanding was that teachers aren't paid a great deal here, though that's based on gossip and I have nothing to back it up. I'm sure there are plenty of people on here who would know though.

If you're just coming here for a change of lifestyle then no probs, but if you want to save some serious money then obviously the salary is important.

Bear in mind as well that to avoid paying UK income tax on what you earn out here you have to be out of the country for a complete tax year (April to April), so as it's unlikely you'd be here before April this year you'd have to stay here until at least April 2011 to avoid paying any tax.

Thanks for you message JJ.

I was aware if various issues regarding NQT's. I will have to look in to it.

Our dream scenario is to both be teaching in schools and living in a nice two bed fully funished appartment.

What kind of salary would we expect to each earn per month? I'm trying to work out rental costs/living costs etc.

Thanks

Accomodation is a lot less in baharin compared to Qatar, but i think wages are less too. Im trying to remember what the new school was that was being completed in bahrain.

I have a vague memory of someone telling me that the Ministry of Education requires teachers to have 2 years experience butIi do know people who have been employed via their spouse's sponsorship as NQTs. I will try and find that out for you, JJ

The marriage issue is really putting us off at the moment. Ideally we would get jobs at different schools nearby and rent accomodation.

I knew a guy in bahrain who got a 'local marriage' certificate which isn't internationally binding. To then be able to sponsor his partner.

Bahrain is more liberal no alcohol licences, there weren't accom checks, though i found they were stricter during Ramadan than Dubai.

Thanks guys,

I must admit I have been looking at Bahrain.

I'm tempted to have a flying visit and spend maybe three days in Qatar and three in Bahrain.

We thought that with two incomes we could maybe afford a nicely furnished high-end appartment/flat. Especially if we can rent our flat in the UK.

We need to look in to and think seriously about the marriage issue and possibly seek advice out there.

Thanks again, you are all a great help.

Don't forget the QP schools in Messaid and Dukhan, both British Curriculum schoold with fantastic facilities. Messaid is new and Dukhan is, I can assure you from experience, a very nice place to work. It depends if you are set on living in Doha. We live in Dukhan and enjoy the fact that we are surrounded by coast, have our own community but are able to go to Doha if we want. Also, if you work for QP, accomodation is provided and my own experience after 3 years has been positive. I will pm you some more details.

No where in the GCC can you come unmarried and expect to cohabit legally. It's not allowed. Is it done? Yes. But the consequences can be severe if you tick the wrong person off or a neighbour is offended at your living arrangements. Up to and including jail time and lashes (both usually commuted if you are a white westerner) followed by deportation.

No employer would set you up together unless you provide an attested marriage certificate. Neither of you could sponsor the other in the case of one getting a job and the other tagging along.

Maybe best to ask for an allowance and to be put up in a hotel for a while till you find somewhere and get an accomodation allowance.

As a british person whose had a year in bahrain, qatar even though it is bigger and has more things i have found it a bit duller compared to Bahrain.

Remember for tax you need to be away for the full financial year, its not just the numbers of months.

The pension question is interesting.

Dear Jonny, you may not have the choice to have an accomodation allowance rather than the actual housing. And usually accomodation allowances are below the level of the rent on a nice flat. You do realize that "classy flats" are in the neighborhood of 15-20,000 QR? I would hazard to say that school housing varies a great deal. Some nice, some (to my eye) horrifying. And I wouldn't blow off the marriage issue. Yes, there are those who "get away with it." But since the penalty is loss of jobs and deportation it seems to me to be a big risk. Do lots of homework before you make the big decision and good luck!

Mandi

Thanks for all the info guys, it's really appreciated. (it makes me laugh how easily some people fall out with each other on this forum!)

I must admit I am having doubts now due to the marriage laws. Are all schools close enough to each other in Qatar for us to apply to different schools, get seperate accomodation yet still be near by.

Are all countries in the area the same?

What are the standards of school provided accomodation like? We would be interested in getting quite a 'classy' flat/apartment so was wondering whether it would be best for us both to get seperate jobs with accomodation allowance and then to rent.

Thanks again.

Boy that was one angry peson.

Do they have a life off here?

Who the *ell is this person talking to?

Are you talking to me?

if so, why be so aggresive? Also yes I know of quite a few schools over here that have 'partners' who perhaps are given seperate flats but end up living together, Yes some school DO take people that come over as partners.

of the schools here in Doha and communicate with them if there are vacancies for the teaching positions you seek. If you guys are NOT legally married, there would be a problem as Qatar laws will not allow it.

apply for the job first, or get a job offer first before doing what you guys are planning to do (you mention selling your properties to move here).

My opinion only....

that other persons comment, Qatar Academy is not a good option for a British trained teacher.

Oh by the way, there are loads of people that come over here who are not married and get away with it, you just have to be subtle about it.

There are 5 shools in Doha that are worth a look at, Doha English Speaking School, Doha College, Doha Montessori British School and Park House, and perhaps Compass International. Those are not in any order of greatness by the way.

The rest are crap!

Ideally you do want to get a job at the same school, but if one of you was the 'sponsor' and the other got a job at another school no problem.

Taching over here is different, there is no OFSTED for a start. SATS, are a joke, thank god in my view.

You will unless you go to DESS or Doha College have a lot of Arabic kids in your class and other second language kids that make the job difficult but not so bad.

be aware it is VERY different over here. However, there are still rewards.